Spinning cradles

ABSTRACT

A CRADLE FOR LONG DRAFT SPINNING APPARATUS TO DIRECT THE GUIDE BELTS BETWEEN WHICH THE YARN IS DRAWN IN PASSING THROUGH THE SPINNING FRAME. TE CRADLE IS MADE SUBSTANTIALLY IN ONE PIECE, WITH NO SEPARABLE TENSORS, BUT THE BELTS ARE GUIDED OVER LIP MEMBERS DISPOSED SO AS TO OFFSET THE PATH OF THE YARN FROM DIRECT ALIGNMENT OF THE BITE OF THE ROLLS, THEREBY TO CONTROL THE FIBERS OF THE DRAFTED YARN. THE LIP MEMBERS ARE FORMED IN ONE PIECE WITH THE SIDE MEMBERS OF THE CRADLE, WHILE A SLOT IS PROVIDED IN ONE OF THE SIDE MEMBERS FOR INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF THE BELTS.

Feb. 9,1971 w'. gmwomm 3,561,065

- srmmm CRADLES Filed Jan. 10, 1969 wane-N E. M/rcoa/v/uo,

. ATTORNEY5 United States Patent Olfice 3,561,065 SPINNING CRADLESWarren E. Macdonald, P.O. Box 116, Seekonk, Mass. 02771 Filed Jan. 10,1969, Ser. No. 790,353 Int. Cl. D01h /88 US. Cl. 19-255 7 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cradle for long draft spinning apparatus todirect the guide belts between which the yarn is drawn in passingthrough the spinning frame. The cradle is made substantially in onepiece, with no separable tensors, but the belts are guided over lipmembers disposed so as to olfset the path of the yarn from directalignment of the bite of the rolls, thereby to control the fibers of thedrafted yarn. The lip members are formed in one piece with the sidemembers of the cradle, while a slot is provided in one of the sidemembers for insertion and removal of the belts.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to improvements inspinning cradles of the character used in long draft spinning frames tosupport the endless belts or aprons between which the yarn is drawn inthe frame.

Cradles, as used heretofore, have been made of multiple parts ofsuitable metals or plastics with separate or sectional assembled tensorsover which the belts or aprons are directed from the rolls of thedrafting frame. Where the cradle is fabricated of several parts, thereis always the problem of assembly, and with the sectional or separateand detachable tensors employed heretofore with such cradles, these havepresented problems in service, especially when the belts are replaced orthe cradle is removed from the spinning frame, and by fiber catching inand therefore collecting at the assembled joints, thereby causingimproper operation and undue wear on the belts. In addition when groupsof collected fibers break loose from these joints they can be carriedinto the yarn and create faults therein.

One objective of this invention is to overcome these objections and toimprove the construction of the cradle, to enable it to be manufacturedat low cost and to eliminate problems of assembly.

Another objective of the invention is to provide a cradle ofnon-metallic or plastic material which may be manufactured or moldedsubstantially as one piece and which nevertheless may be installedreadily in the drafting frame in guiding relation with the belts oraprons to assure proper and desired operation of the latter.

Another objective is to eliminate the assembled joints and therebyeliminate the problem of fibers collecting and the ensuingcircumstances.

Still another objective of the invention is to provide for an increasein the guided relation of the belts around the top roll and to directthe belts through a curve, thereby to control the fibers of the draftedyarn.

These objectives may be accomplished, according to one embodiment of theinvention, by providing a cradle formed substantially entirely ofnon-metallic or plastic material, preferably made: in one integralpiece, as by molding or other fabrication. The cradle is formed with apair of opposite side members having means for fitting in bearingrelation with the shafts supporting a pair of rolls and which sidemembers are connected together through a pair of lip members disposed inposition to bear upon the forward ends of the belts or aprons and toguide the latter.

3,561,065 Patented Feb. 9, 1971 One of the side members is provided witha slot therethrough for insertion and removal of the belts or aprons,while the other side member is closed. The bearing portions of the sidemembers that seat upon the shafts of the rolls dispose the lip membersoffset from the bite of the rolls so as to bend the belts or aprons in areverse curve, thus creating a corresponding curvature in the yarn andthereby controlling the fibers of the drafted yarn.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This embodiment of the invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross section through the cradle, applied to a pair ofdrafting rolls;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the cradle detached;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the cradle in its relation to thedrafting rolls; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the cradle assembly at the side oppositefrom FIG. 2.

In a conventional spinning frame to which this cradle may be applied aseries of pairs of roll shafts are mounted for passage of a yarn Ytherethrough in the manner generally indicated in FIG. 1. These rollshafts are suitably supported on a roll stand (not shown) and areoperated so as to effect drawing of the yarn Y during passage throughthe rolls.

A pair of intermediate rolls are shown at 1 and 2 in cooperatingrelation to each other, being respectively top and bottom rolls in theusual mounting of the spinning frame. Likewise, top and bottom frontrolls are shown at 3 and 4. The yarn Y passes between the rolls 1 and 2and thence to and between the rolls 3 and 4.

Suitable supporting shafts are provided for mounting the respectiverolls and for driving the latter. Shafts 5 and 6 are shown in FIG. 1upon which the rolls 1 and 2 are mounted. The bottom shaft 6 is usuallymounted in fixed bearings, while the top shaft is relatively short andsupports an axially aligned pair of rolls and is capable of bodilydisplacement during installation of the belts or aprons and the cradle,after which these parts are snapped into place.

The belts or aprons are shown at 7 and 8. These belts or aprons areendless and extend over the intermediate rolls 1 and 2 and are broughtsubstantially together, as illustrated in FIG. 1, for guiding the yarn Ytherebetween.

The cradle comprises a pair of side members 9 and 10, each of which isrelatively thick and may be formed by molding or other means offabrication. The side members 9 and 10 are connected together by two lipmembers or tensors 11 which extend transversely between the platelikeside members 9 and 1-0, as shown in FIG. 3, and generally in ahorizontal directionwhen the cradle is installed on the drafting frame,as shown in FIG. 1. These lip members 11 are formed in one integralpiece with the side members 9 and 10 and are not separate parts whichwould require individual assembly.

One of the side members, as 9, is substantially imperforate, while theother side member 10 has a slot 12 extending therethrough throughout itslength and aligned between the two lip members or tensors 11. Thus, thebelts or aprons can be inserted or removed through the slot providedbetween the lip members 11, which lip members extend between the sidemembers 9 and 10.

The rearward end of each of the side members 9 and 10 has a concavebearing face 13 shaped to conform substantially to the periphery of theshaft 6 beside the bottom roll 2. The rearward end of each of the sidemembers 9 and 10 also has a concave bearing surface -14 shaped toconform substantially to the periphery of ;he top shaft 5 when thecradle is in place in the spinning rame.

One or both of the side members 9 and 10 is preferably provided with asection adjacent the bearing surface 13 on the corresponding side of theslot 12 in the side member 10 extending upwardly around the top roll, asherein described in position to provide a positive side guide for thebelts or, aprons 7 and 8.

The location of the bearing surfaces 13 and 14 causes the lip members 11to be displaced vertically, with the opening therebetween out of axialalignment with the bite of the rolls 1 and 2. Therefore, the beltsfollow the curvature of the top roll 1 to a point where they aredirected upwardly between the lip members 11 and thereby to direct theyarn away from this pair of rolls and toward the front pair of rolls 3and 4.

Thus, the belts or aprons are directed through a serpentine path afterleaving the bite of the rolls, which serpentine path is provided so asto keep the belts in close proximity to each other for a short distancefrom the bite of the rolls, thereby to control the fibers of the yarnbeing drafted between the rolls.

The function of the cradle is to hold the belts away from the rollsunder very light tension in a given position. Therefore, the reaction ofthe belts reciprocally holds the cradle bearing surfaces 13 and 14against the rolls. The design of the cradle bearing portion causes thecradle to remain in place when installed in the drafting frame.

Normally, the bottom shaft 6 will be assembled With the belts or apronsextending over the rolls thereon and hanging loosely. For installation,the cradle can be placed so that the bottom shaft is in position 2a asillustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 4, relative to the cradle.

The top shaft, which may be of sufficient length to accommodate twocradles can be shifted to the position In illustrated diagrammaticallyin FIG. 4 relative to the cradle for installation. The belts are slippedthrough the slot 12 in the end member 10 and the top shaft can then bebrought into place into cooperating relation with the bottom shaft.After installation of the cradles and the belts, the top shaft is thenheld in place against the bottom shaft by conventional means.

Variations in the steps of installation may be made to suit theinstallers preference and convenience.

The cradle may be constructed of any suitable or desired material. Oneof the plastic materials having the desired characteristics is known asDelrin. The entire cradle can be molded or otherwise fabricated ofonepiece construction without using or requiring separate or sectionaltensors as frequently used heretofore. Thus, the construction ismaterially simplified, assembly elimi nated, and installation improvedand with advantageous properties in service, a better drafting effectmay be obtained on the yarn.

While I have illustrated and described the invention in one embodiment,it is recognized that variations and changes may be made therein Withoutdeparting from the invention set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. A cradle for long-draft spinning apparatus having a pair ofintermediate spinning rolls with aprons extending over the rolls, saidcradle comprising side plates each having concave seats in one endthereof adapted to be applied to the pair of intermediate spinning rollsto brace against the respective rolls, lip members extending between theside plates and formed throughout their lengths in one integral piecewith both side plates, said lip members being in position for guidingrelation with the aprons and spaced apart to receive yarn therebetween,one of said side plates having a slot therethrough extending throughoutthe length of said one side plate for insertion and removal of theaprons.

2. A cradle for long-draft spinning aprons according to claim 1, whereineach of the lip members is in one piece throughout its length and in onepiece with both side plates and extending continuously therebetween.

3. A cradle for long-draft spinning aprons according to claim 1, whereinthe lip members are adjacent one side of the cradle at one end of theside plates, and means at the opposite end of the side plates formounting the cradle on the intermediate rolls.

4. A cradle for long-draft spinning aprons according to claim 1,including concave seats in the side plates at one end thereof formounting the cradle with respect to the intermediate rolls.

5. In drafting apparatus having a pair of coacting intermediate rollsand mounting shafts therefor, a onepiece cradle including side plateshaving concave seats at one end thereof in bearing relation to the rollshafts, spaced apart guide means adjacent the opposite end of the sideplates, said drafting apparatus including aprons extending over therolls and the respective guide means for guiding a yarn therebetween,one of the side plates having a slot extending throughout the lengththereof for insertion and removal of the aprons through the slot.

6. In drafting apparatus according to claim 5, including a projectingportion on one of the plates overlapping an end portion of one of therolls for confining the aprons therebetween.

7. In drafting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the guide meansis located above the bite between the coacting rolls and the aprons aredirected upwardly around one of the rolls from the bite in a reversearcuate direction to the guide means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,020,483 11/1935 Truslow 192552,943,361 7/1960 Cotchett 192'54X 2,943,362 7/1960 Butler 19-253X DORSEYNEWTON, Primary Examiner

